Chris Mallek, Forest Ecologist, Fire Management on 2019 East Fire
WILLIAMS, CA - A diverse group of over 50 people attended
the FireScape Mendocino (FSM) workshop on Fire and Fuels Management that was
held at the Granzella’s Inn Conference Room in Williams on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019.
There were participants representing the following
stakeholders: California Conservation
Corps, air and water regulators, Forest Service, Resource Conservation
Districts, BLM, Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, Native American
Tribes, recreation groups, conservation organizations, CALFIRE, Prescribed Fire
Burn Associations, Fire Safe Councils, local government, private land owners, University
of California Cooperative Extension, and other interested parties.
Lenya Quinn-Davidson on Community Burning
The morning presentations and discussions covered post
Ranch Fire recovery of natural and cultural resources, repair and reopening of
roads, trails, and campgrounds, and ongoing volunteer efforts to clear trails
and repair other damaged facilities.
Frank Aebly, District Ranger, on North Shore Restoration Project
Mendocino National Forest District Ranger, Frank
Aebly, gave a presentation on the North Shore Restoration Project that has
a goal to provide a resilient landscape that restores the ecological integrity
and connectivity of habitat by promoting a mix of composition, structure, and
functional processes. The Project is designed to promote continued
production of ecosystem services and provide fuel reduction and protection
within the North Shore Wildland Urban Interface.
District Silviculturist Radek Glebocki presented
information about post-fire projects totaling 2,900 acres on the Grindstone
Ranger District. The projects will include removing standing dead and dying
trees in preparation for planting Douglas-fir, sugar pine and ponderosa pine
seedlings.
Forest Ecologist Chris Mallek gave a presentation on the
2019 East Fire and explained the rationale and decision-making process that is
involved with managing a fire for resource objectives in the wilderness.
In the afternoon, Lenya Quinn-Davidson and her team from
the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Humboldt County
Prescribed Burn Association, discussed efforts to create community-led
organizations that help build capacity and mobilize residents to protect their
homes, property, and communities from intense wildfire.
These local community-based wildfire groups work closely
with local fire officials to design and implement hazardous fuel reduction
projects that help minimize impacts from wildfires. Such grassroots projects are mostly performed
by land owners and neighbors.
Wrap up discussions showed that participants left the
workshop with a greater degree of shared understanding about current and future
fire, fuels, and forest management approaches in the region.
The workshop also provides attendees with the opportunity
to identify potential partnerships with additional people, organizations, and
programs who they can collaborate with to implement multiple shared values in fire,
fuels, and forest management contexts.
FSM looks forward to 2020 where more information can be
exchanged at community workshops and field trips. Facilitating community-based prescribed fire training
opportunities is also a goal for FSM next year. Thanks to all who attended.
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